These New Contact Lenses Will Darken In The Sun Like Sunglasses

Science is amazing, isn't it?

The moment you realize you forgot your sunglasses is never fun. Whether you’re driving to work or walking the kids to the park, you’re now left to squint and try to use your hand as a visor. But a cool new type of contact lenses mean you’ll be guaranteed an extra bit of eye protection.

Johnson & Johnson, the makers of the Acuvue Oasys brand, have created the first-ever UV-blocking transitional contact lenses. The soft contacts, which can be worn for up to 14 days, have been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. The lenses will be available to buy in the first half of 2019.

Much like transition glasses, these responsive contacts darken — going from clear to grey to dark grey — when exposed to UV light. Their Transition Light Intelligent Technology gives your vision an extra bit of protection from the sun’s rays.

According to Malvina Eydelman, director of the Division of Ophthalmic, and Ear, Nose and Throat Devices at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, the lenses use the “same technology that is used in eyeglasses that automatically darken in the sun.”

If you’re wondering how these contacts will look while worn, rest assured they are not the same as black-out lenses that make your eye appear black. In fact, Johnson & Johnson said that they’ll be hardly noticeable.

“There’s not going to be any creepy alien eyes,” said Donna Lorenson, a vice president in communications at Johnson & Johnson Vision, told BuzzFeed.

She also noted that those with brown eyes would hardly notice a difference in color, while those with lighter eyes might notice a slight gray tint when the lenses were darkened in the sun.

According to a statement released by the FDA, these lenses should not be used as substitutes for UV protective sunglasses, but they are helpful in those moments when you step outside realizing you left your sunnies at home.

So, what you think about these transition lenses? Will you be giving them a try?